At the Tea Table with Writer, Illustrator & Visual Storyteller Candace Rose Rardon

Originally from the United States, Candace Rose Rardon has been living abroad since 2008. Her writing and illustrations, which are deeply inspired by cultures around the world, have been supporting her since 2011. Her work has appeared in many publications including National Geographic, Lonely Planet and BBC Travel. She also writes travel inspired Sleep Stories for the popular meditation app Calm and released a pocket-sized guide on the culture and history of tea. At the tea table Candace chatted about her love for the gaiwan, daily tea rituals, favourite tea related memories and illustrations from her travels.

Candace Rose Rardon
Candace enjoying yerba mate in Montevideo

The kettle is on and I can hear it about to sing. What tea are you going to steep for us today?

Thanks so much for having me at your tea table, Lu Ann. Today I’m enjoying yerba mate, which isn’t a true “tea” because it’s made from the leaves of the holly family — but it’s a huge part of the culture here in Uruguay, where I’ve lived for the past four years. It took me a little while to get used to its bitter taste. However, I love how deeply communal mate is and how a single gourd will be passed around a group (before Covid-19, that is!).

Thank you for joining and for picking out a great steep! Do you recall your first sip that started your tea journey?

Unlike with coffee, which I didn’t develop a taste for until I was an adult, I’ve really been drinking tea my entire life. It’s hard to recall the exact first sip that started it all. My mother is a huge tea lover, so I grew up sharing scones and pots of English breakfast with her. I even dedicated my first book, Stuff Every Tea Lover Should Know, to my mom, to celebrate the role that tea has played in our relationship over the years.

That sounds like a delightful way to grow up! As a writer, illustrator and visual storyteller, what are some of your daily tea rituals today? 

Tea has always been an essential part of my creative routine. I usually start the day with a mug or two of coffee, and drink tea throughout the afternoon. But it wasn’t until I started doing research for my book that I bought my first gaiwan and really dove into the world of whole-leaf tea. Now, I can’t imagine not brewing tea in a gaiwan. I’m also very interested in mindfulness. So, I love how calming tea rituals are and how they help us slow down and carve out a few moments in our day to be present and still.

Welcome to the gaiwan club! I was so thrilled to catch your live painting of your gaiwan scene on Instagram during quarantine, too. On that note, share a couple of your favourite tea related illustrations and the story behind each.

A few years, I wrote and illustrated an essay for Longreads called “Home is a Cup of Tea,”. It is all about my search for home around the world through the different teas I had discovered while traveling. So, I’ve got plenty of tea illustrations to choose from!

While it’s hard to pick just a couple, there’s no question that one of my favorite tea traditions is masala chai in India. I love its sweet, milky taste and the incredible mix of spices (here’s looking at you, cardamom). Chai is so different from the familiar English breakfast tea I grew up drinking with my mom.

After chai, my second favorite tea tradition would have to be Turkish çay. In 2013, I spent a month trekking across Turkey on my own, following an ancient path called the Evliya Çelebi Way. I passed through so many villages as I walked through Anatolia. No matter how small a village was, I loved learning that I could always count on there being a tea house — or kahve — waiting for me.

Every time I came to a new village, I’d head to straight to the kahve, set down my backpack, and order a tulip-shaped glass of tea, always served in a decorative red-and-white saucer. The tea was always strong and sweet. But, the chance to connect with local villagers in each tea house gave me even more energy to return to the trail.

You spent a decade travelling and living abroad including places that are deep in the culture and history of tea. What is one of your favourite memories from a tea region visit? 

I feel so grateful to have been offered many cups of tea during my travels — especially in countries such as Turkey and Morocco, where tea is a powerful symbol of hospitality, kindness, and connection. One of my favorite memories, though, is from Japan, where I had the chance to take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto.

For me, every cup of tea I’ve shared with someone across the world — from the most elegantly prepared matcha in Japan to the tiniest cup of chai on a train in India — has meant so much, and I appreciate the chance to share a virtual cup with you here, too!

Candace Rose Rardon

Speed Round:

Black, Green, Yellow, White, Oolong or Puerh?
Puerh

Hot, Iced or Cold?
Hot

Teapot, Infuser or Gaiwan?
Gaiwan

Straight, Sweetened or Latte?
Straight

Cheese or Chocolate pairing?
If I may, I’d have to say neither…instead, my favorite thing to pair with tea are bizcochos and alfajores: small delicious pastries and dulce de leche-filled cookies that are a must-have when you’re drinking mate here in Uruguay.

Candace Rose Rardon

You’re stranded on a desert island and you could only bring 3 tea related items. What did you bring?

I’d have to bring my gaiwan, my yerba mate gourd, and a thermos for hot water, which I could use to prepare tea in both the gaiwan and mate gourd — even if those might not be the most helpful things to have with me on a remote island!

Find Candace Rose Rardon:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter


ABOUT THIS SERIES: Tea tells stories and when connected with humans, more are created. That’s where the idea for this blog series, At the Tea Table, originated. With this series, The Cup of Life asks tea lovers around the world to take us inside their tea lives to share their favourite steeps, spaces, routines and more. Meet some of your fellow tea drinkers here.

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